Provides immunity from civil and criminal liability for rescue of animal from motor vehicle under inhumane conditions.

A4585

ASSEMBLY, No. 4585

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 10, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� CAROL A. MURPHY

District 7 (Burlington)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Haider

SYNOPSIS

���� Provides immunity from civil and criminal liability
for rescue of animal from motor vehicle under inhumane conditions.�

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

concerning the rescue of an animal from a
vehicle under certain circumstances and supplementing Title 2A of the New
Jersey Statutes.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� a.� Whenever a domestic
companion animal has been left unattended in a motor vehicle under inhumane
conditions adverse to the health or welfare of the animal, including, but not
limited to, heat, cold, inadequate ventilation, or other circumstances likely
to endanger or cause bodily injury or death to the animal, any person who,
without license or privilege to otherwise enter the motor vehicle, may in good
faith enter the vehicle in order to remove, or render emergency care to, the
animal if the person reasonably believes that the animal is in immediate danger
of bodily injury or death from the circumstances, provided that prior to
entering the motor vehicle the person contacted appropriate rescue personnel to
report the circumstances and made a reasonable attempt to locate the owner or
operator of the motor vehicle or other person responsible for the animal unless
exigent circumstances warrant foregoing such actions.

���� b.��� After removing the
animal from the vehicle, the person shall immediately contact for assistance
appropriate rescue personnel, if one has not already been contacted.

���� c.���� Upon receipt of any
such report from a person, the appropriate rescue personnel shall dispatch
assistance to the scene of the animal recovery, and immediately seek proper
veterinary care for the animal as needed and cause to be commenced any
investigation necessary for a suspected violation of R.S.4:22-17 or
R.S.4:22-26.

���� d.�� (1) �A person who acts in
accordance with subsections a. and b. of this section shall be immune from
civil or criminal liability for:

���� (a)� any property damage, or
any injury to the animal, caused by any acts or omissions related to breaking
into and entering a vehicle and rendering emergency care to a domestic
companion animal, unless the person engaged in reckless or willful misconduct;
and

���� (b)� any violation of the
animal cruelty laws of the State unless the person engaged in reckless or
willful misconduct.

���� (2)� The immunity provided
under this section shall be in addition to any other immunity that may apply
under the �New Jersey Tort Claims Act,� N.J.S.59:1-1 et seq., or any other law,
rule, or regulation.

���� e.���� As used in this
section, �appropriate rescue personnel� means a law enforcement officer, a
member of a paid, part paid, or volunteer fire department or fire company, or
ambulance, emergency, or rescue squad, a certified animal control officer, a municipal
humane law enforcement officer, or a humane law enforcement officer of a county
society for the prevention of cruelty to animals.

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� In addition to any other
immunity provided by the �New Jersey Tort Claims Act,� or any other law, rule,
or regulation, this bill, as amended, provides immunity from civil or criminal
liability for any acts or omissions related to breaking into and entering a
vehicle and rendering emergency care to a domestic companion animal when:

���� 1) the domestic companion
animal has been left unattended in a motor vehicle under inhumane conditions
adverse to the health or welfare of the animal;

���� 2) the person breaking into
and entering the vehicle reasonably believes that the animal is in immediate
danger of bodily injury or death from the circumstances of the inhumane
conditions; and

���� 3) prior to entering the motor
vehicle the person contacted appropriate rescue personnel to report the
circumstances and made a reasonable attempt to locate the owner or operator of
the motor vehicle or other person responsible for the animal, unless exigent
circumstances warrant foregoing such actions.

���� The bill requires the person
to immediately contact appropriate rescue personnel after removing the animal
from the vehicle, if none have already been contacted. The bill also requires
the appropriate rescue personnel, upon being contacted, to dispatch assistance
to the scene of the animal recovery, immediately seek proper veterinary care
for the animal as needed, and cause to commence any investigation necessary for
a suspected violation of R.S.4:22-17 or R.S.4:22-26 (animal cruelty).

���� The bill defines �appropriate
rescue personnel� as a law enforcement officer, a member of a paid, part paid,
or volunteer fire department or fire company, or ambulance, emergency, or
rescue squad, a certified animal control officer, a municipal humane law
enforcement officer, or a humane law enforcement officer of a county society
for the prevention of cruelty to animals.